Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 6, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the 76ers 110-106. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP
Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Joel Embiid and New York forward Kristaps Porzingis will spark the World squad against the United States lineup at the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, the league announced Wednesday.
The 10-man teams will meet February 17 in New Orleans as an early tip-off to festivities for the 66th NBA All-Star Game there two days later.
Cameroon big man Embiid leads all NBA rookies with 19.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.47 blocked shots per game while Latvia’s 7-foot-3 (2.21m) Porzingis, in his second NBA campaign, averages 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.92 blocks a game.
Denver boasts three players on the global squad with Serbia center Nikola Jokic, who averages 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds a game, joined by Nuggets guards Emmanuel Mudiay from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Jamal Murray of Canada.
Rounding out the international roster are Australian guard Dante Exum of Utah and his Canadian NBA teammate forward Trey Lyles, New Orleans guard Buddy Hield from the Bahamas, Lithuanian rookie forward Domantas Sabonis of Oklahoma City and Croatian forward Dario Saric of the 76ers.
Embiid, Saric and Murray each developed in part through the Basketball Without Borders global youth outreach program.
Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, will lead the American lineup. He is averaging 21.8 points and 12.0 rebounds a game.
The Americans also feature Phoenix guard Devin Booker, who is averaging 20.6 points, and Indiana center Myles Turner, who ranks third in the NBA with 2.3 blocked shots a game as well as 15.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest.
Other US players include Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon, Phoenix’s Marquese Chriss, Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte’s Frank Kaminsky, Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor and San Antonio’s Jonathon Simmons.
Australian forward Ben Simmons, the 2016 NBA Draft top pick by Philadelphia, has yet to play due to a broken right foot suffered in a training camp scrimmage.
But even without him, the NBA featured a record 113 players from outside the United States representing 41 nations on opening night. All 30 clubs had at least one international player.
NBA assistant coaches selected the rosters for each Rising Stars squad. Assistants to the All-Star Game coaches will guide the World and US squads.